Hero
by RadiantBeam
Summary: To him, she'll always be a hero. In her mind, she'll always be his hero. [Abby x Hoagie][Oneshot]


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Codename: Kids Next Door. I haven't even watched it recently. Bad me.

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**Hero**

"Get outta my way! Move it, move it!"

Whatever kids don't scramble hastily aside are pushed roughly to the side, but there aren't many of them—she is a legend, a hero, and they know to move when she orders it. And they know now isn't the time to challenge her even if they wanted to, when her eyes are flaming like dark fires and her hat is clenched tightly in one hand, threatening to beat anyone who doesn't get out of her way. Whispers race through the small crowd; no one has ever seen her so angry.

She pays them no mind. She hasn't thought clearly since she saw messed up brown hair and slightly cracked goggles when she glanced at the crowd and they parted briefly for her to see what was going on.

It doesn't matter that they are no longer kids but teenagers, it doesn't matter that she's still a legend among legends and he's just the geek everyone likes to pick on. It doesn't even matter that he makes stupid cracks to try and make her laugh when she finds them horribly corny.

All that matters is he's her best friend (more than that, and she knows it) and she's protected him for as long as she can remember, and _HELL _if she's going to stand docile on the side and gawk now when he needs her most.

"Get the hell off him, you jerks!"

She grabs the ringleader of the whole thing by his collar, dragging him back roughly and throwing him into the crowd, paying no heed to where he lands. She thinks she hears something crack, but she ignores it and turns her attention to the remaining boys.

The anger that has blossomed in their eyes quickly cools and transforms into horror as they recognize her for who she is—Abigail Lincoln, younger sister of Cree Lincoln, one of the best fighters to ever grace the KND and an undercover agent of the Teens Next Door (TND).

Of course, they don't know the last part. But the other two are enough to make them pee their pants.

So they do what she knew they'd do. They run.

She glares after them for a moment, still seething inwardly before sighing and placing her hat back on her head, brushing loose strands of dark hair out of her eyes. Quietly she kneels before her longtime friend, retrieving his cracked goggles and handing them to him. "Here," she murmurs. "Sorry I came so late."

"It's okay." He wipes his nose with the back of his hand, trying to slow the blood flow.

"You all right? Ya need me to take ya to the nurse?"

"Nah, I'm good."

He's not, and she can tell. Hoagie Gilligan could never lie, not to her. Especially to her.

He cradles the broken goggles in his hands for a moment and looks up at her, his lips curving in a small half smile that is absolutely heartbreaking. "These… these were my dad's, you know."

She's known that since they were thirteen and they were first sent to the TND, two of the first to go from their sector. In their current condition, the goggles are useless. It makes her eyes sting. "I'm sorry," she repeats softly. "I'm really sorry, Hoagie."

"It's okay. They were getting old anyway."

_Liar._

He pulls the goggles close to his chest as she stands, and he takes her hand when he offers it. He laughs softly as the kids finally disperse. "You know, I think you're still a hero to them, Abby."

She smiles sadly and shakes her head. "I've never been a hero, Hoagie." She dusts off her pants, rubbing the back of her neck. "C'mon, let's get outta here. There's a meeting tonight at the old tree house and I don't wanna be late again."

He nods, sliding the goggles into his pocket and falling into his customary place beside her. They always go to meetings together, never fail.

He smiles a little.

And doesn't matter what she says. To him, she'll always be a hero.

What he doesn't know is that in her mind, she'll always be _his _hero.

**The End**

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In this story Abby and Hoagie are both in their teens... not quite thirteen I'd say, maybe fourteen or fifteen... sixteen at the oldest.

Short little 2/5 drabble, as my KND spark has been relit and I'm trying to get back into the swing of it. Next on my list might be a 1/362 drabble, maybe.

Read and review, please!


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